There are places and events which remain in the collective imaginary for eternity: La Tour Eiffel; the Northern Lights; il Colosseo; Cirque du Soleil; Rio de Janeiro’s Carnival; Wimbledon. Some are better known in certain circles, like motorsport and automotive shows: Goodwood Festival of Speed (UK); Villa d’Este (Italy); the Monterey weekend (California).

For a nation endowed with the DNA of such maverick automotive legends as Chapman, Cooper and Brown, it seems ironic that the marque which now leads the plethora of niche British sports car manufacturers is one that was only founded in the latter part of the 20th century.

It’s one of the most prestigious motor race events in the world, whilst the ‘Grande Parade des Pilotes’ is one of the most visible automotive catwalks with thousands of fans and enthusiasts lining up to catch a glimpse of their favourite drivers.

We make no apologies for this Subaru special issue of ROAD Magazine this month, so if you’re not a fan of the incredible Pleiades-star cluster brand, you can still read Neil Cole’s column on the Monte Carlo rally and our report from the last month’s Autosport Show.

This month, ROAD magazine stretches from the icy tundra of Lapland – ice driving with four-times WRC Champion, Juha Kankkunen in supercars – to the humid Far East – VW Scirocco R-Cup racing in Shanghai – and then on to the dry deserts of Las Vegas – for the 2011 SEMA show.